Retta Scott
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Retta Scott (February 23, 1916 - August 26, 1990) is notable as the first woman to receive screen credit as an animator at the Walt Disney Animation Studios.
She was hired at Disney in 1938 to work in the Story Dept. on Bambi. Her artistic ability in drawing animals was such that she was selected by Walt Disney and Bambi supervising-director David D. Hand to be mentored by animator Eric Larson so that she could animate the vicious hunting dogs in the sequence where the dogs pursue Faline and fight with Bambi. Retta Scott also animated on the Disney features Fantasia, Dumbo, and Disney's version of The Wind In the Willows, which was shelved during the World War II years and released much later as one part of the film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. In addition, Alberto Becattini's web site of animator credits lists her as an animator on the Donald Duck shorts "Donald’s Snow Fight" and "Donald Gets Drafted" both released in 1942, along with an unnamed Goofy short in 1945. Retta appears on-screen in the Disney live-action studio tour film The Reluctant Dragon, alongside other Disney animators such as Wolfgang Reitherman in the portion of the film where Robert Benchley tours the Disney Studio's life-drawing classroom (where the model that day happens to be an elephant). Retta presents Benchley with a caricature of himself as an elephant. She was laid-off from Disney during a periodic studio downsizing in late 1941, (partially as a result of the infamous Disney animators' strike in the summer of 1941) but was rehired by the Disney Studio in 1942 to work in the Story Department. Retta Scott left Disney four years later in 1946 to move to the East Coast, where she continued to freelance for Disney illustrating Disney publications such as the 'Big Golden Book' edition of Disney's 'Cinderella' . She remained active as an illustrator for many years and returned to animation to animate on The Plague Dogs, directed by Martin Rosen, released in 1982. Around that same time in the early 80's she also worked for the animation studio founded by Bud Luckey, The Luckey-Zamora Moving Picture Co. in the San Francisco bay area.
Some writers have occasionally confused Retta Scott with another Disney artist with the first name Retta, Retta Davidson , who worked at Disney from 1939 until the late 60's , but they are two different artists.
Retta Scott died August 26, 1990.
